


Blood Legacy

by Fiacre



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Gen, Mentions of Forced Impregnation, Mentions of Rape, Mentions of incest, also mentions of human sacrifice, and short descriptions of violence/fighting, basically all warnings that apply to the actual quest too, for a very short flashback, slightly edited version from what i posted on tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 08:41:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15045161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiacre/pseuds/Fiacre
Summary: The Watcher's awakened past self is less than pleased with the Skaenite's plan to use Aelys.





	Blood Legacy

“Let me.”

Caolan’s voice is quiet but clear, not at the edge of his awareness as so often but pushed into Alfaris’s mind where he couldn’t ignore it if he wanted to. He pauses, licks his lips, then closes his eyes, feels a shudder go through him and a light burning pain spreading throughout his body, then--

Caolan opens their eyes and sways unsteadily on his feet, dizzy and disoriented. A hand quickly grasps his shoulder -- broad, strong -- the Eoathasian. _Edér_. He blinks and straightens his shoulders, inches his feet apart just a bit and Edér lets go again. The Skaenite priest is staring warily at them, a moment’s notice away from attacking. Caolan switches his focus to the girl, ignores her bloodied form and reaches into her soul, gently, carefully…

He goes past memories of laughter and music, past fear and confusion into the darkest part of her mind he can see, sense, and there he finds it -- the Skaenite’s blood essence, the vengeful, vicious souls infused into her, clinging to her worst memories like parasites. And then he cleaves into them, it, pushes the writhing mass of essence together even as they lash out at him, throws them off with the experience of a lifetime, ignores the sobbing of a scared young girl with the same as he rips the memories into shreds with a practiced viciousness of his own.

Finally, all connection is severed and with one final exertion he tears away the hissing mass and smooths out the edges where he destroyed her memories, soothes her soul. When he retreats he is swaying again, nauseous and Edér carefully wraps an arm around him.

The girl is stumbling away, terrified now that her mind is her own again, even if she does not know what has happened. The Skaenite priest glares at him. “Kill them. All of them. If she can't destroy Harond, then we can destroy his legacy with her."

But even as they reach for their weapons and Alfaris reaches for him, a wordless offer to switch and let him bear this exhaustion, he pushes himself away from Edér, puts his weight back onto his own feet and with a bright flare of anger reaches for the priest’s soul now.

“She’s not your sacrifice”, he snarls, teeth bared and the priest opens his mouth to retort but all that comes out is a pained cry as Caolan tears into him. Gone is the restraint and caution from earlier as he does as much damage as he can, memories of his own working their way to the surface--

 _(“It is an honor to be chosen as sacrifice.” And his wails just grow louder because it isn’t, it isn’t, he’s_ seen _, he’s heard the screaming and he doesn’t want to hurt, he doesn’t want to_ end _\--)_

He’s back in his own mind, pushing them away, out of Alfaris’s reach before his other self can see anything and the priest crumbles and gasps. Pallegina and Edér have both rushed past Caolan to take on the Skaenites, Aloth is murmuring incantations beside him and Sagani shoots an arrow straight into a cultist’s eye while her fox rips into the leg of another. He reaches for the other cipher, the Grieving Mother, if only to have someone to hold onto and keep himself on his own feet and watches the fight through half lidded eyes as the throbbing in his head slowly, slowly lessens.

It’s only after the last Skaenite falls that he switches his attention back to the girl, huddled against the wall on the other side of the room, and begins to make his way towards her.

“Alfa--?”, Edér starts to ask only to stop after one look at Caolan’s face.

“It’s all right”, Caolan says. “You’re safe now.”

The girl stares at him with wide eyes. “What-- What happened?”

Again he can feel Alfaris reach for him. Normally, he would be happy to let his other self take over for the talking, but…

“They’re Skaenites. They kidnapped you. They… They wanted to use you to destroy your uncle.” He offers her his hand and she takes it after a second’s hesitation. He squeezes gently. “He hurt you. That child…” Her other hand finds its way to the swelling of her abdomen and she swallows. “It’s his.”

Her gaze falls, but she stays calm. It doesn’t surprise Caolan. The only lasting damage he has done is to the memories of her rape, but between his intrusion and the Skaenite’s essence infusion her soul and mind are almost worryingly pliant. “What should I do now? I…”

Caolan squeezes again. “There’s a temple at the entrance of the town. I’m sure the clergy there will help you. And…” He reaches into the coin purse tied to Alfaris’s belt and pulls out a generous amount then offers it to her. “This should help.”

“Thank you”, she says and takes the gold, then takes a step away and gives the chamber one last look. “I won’t look back.”

Caolan smiles encouragingly -- or at least hopes that is what it looks like, and only turns to his companions once she has left.

His eyes flash. “Get us to her uncle.”


End file.
